Retrieve External Process' current/working directory

[TMXOD]

When writing a script, I can retrieve the script's working directory by using the following macro:

@WorkingDir

When launching an application from within a script, I can set its initial working directory by using the following syntax for the 'Run' function:

Run("x:\path\to\application.exe","x:\working\directory")

The question is:

How do I retrieve the working directory of an application that was already started when my script began execution?

I looked in the PSAPI documentation in MSDN, the Win32_Process WMI class, as well as multiple forum searches for variations on 'current/working directory existing/running process' without positive results... Any help getting this working would be greatly appreciated...

[martin]

When writing a script, I can retrieve the script's working directory by using the following macro:

@WorkingDir

When launching an application from within a script, I can set its initial working directory by using the following syntax for the 'Run' function:

Run("x:\path\to\application.exe","x:\working\directory")

The question is:

How do I retrieve the working directory of an application that was already started when my script began execution?

I looked in the PSAPI documentation in MSDN, the Win32_Process WMI class, as well as multiple forum searches for variations on 'current/working directory existing/running process' without positive results... Any help getting this working would be greatly appreciated...

This _ProcessListProperties function by PsaltyDS might help.

[TMXOD]

That UDF uses the Win32_Process WMI class, which does not provide the working directory.

I know it's possible, since Technet's Process Explorer can do it, but it seems like something that would be documented/known... (i.e. don't feel like setting up a reverse engineering setup to dig up a single API call)...

[Ascend4nt]

TMXOD, The only way I know of doing this is to open and read the process memory - there's a pointer in the PEB block to 'Process Parameters' where you can read Current directory, DLL search path pattern, full exe path, Command line, Invokation method, and a number of other interesting strings. Doing this unfortunately means you'll need to have proper privileges to open a handle to read the process memory.

I have code for it, but its not very pretty and has limited error checking, but I just thought I'd try pointing you in the right direction

[TMXOD]

I'd love to see that code (pretty or not )

[mojomatt]

I know this is an old thread but nonetheless...

You can use the Sysinternals tool called handle.exe to get the working directory of an external process.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896655.aspx